The Car Connection Expert Review

Until 1966, Dodge’s
reputation in
America
was squarely mainstream. It built affordable cars and usually, plain ones.

The introduction of
the Charger marked a new era. In 1964 Chrysler had come out with a 7.0-liter
V-8 engine that was also used by Dodge; the powerplant was enormously popular
with street and drag racers, but in Dodge’s square-bodied lineup, it didn’t draw
many stares. The ’66 Charger changed all that: its fastback styling fitted neatly
in the muscle-car craze, while its V-8 Hemi engine put the Charger in the racing
history books.

Review continues below

The return of the Charger
nameplate in 2006 has had a similar effect for the Dodge brand of today. Built
on the Chrysler 300/Dodge Magnum platform, the modern Charger looks like a
coupe, but has four doors. Those extra doors have been controversial from day
one, but Dodge seems to have gotten it right enough for buyers. The proof? The
Charger has logged some 159,000 sales since it hit the road in July of
2005.

Maybe that has something to
do with the TV effect. Dodge says that more than 65 percent of Americans
recognized the Charger name before it was reintroduced. That’s most likely, we
think, because the Charger played a major part in The Dukes of Hazzard TV series, which
ran from 1979 until 1985, and was reborn last year on
film.

Without the help of Daisy
Duke or her cousins, we drove the newest edition of the Charger, the Daytona
R/T. And even in these days of rising gas prices, the joy of tooling around in
an R/T overrode the pain at the pumps.

Modern
Charger

With a length of
200.1 inches, and a wheelbase of
120.0 inches, the modern Charger easily seats
five grown-ups, but roominess is not what it’s about — especially not
with the car I drove, a Charger Daytona R/T (Road/Track). With this version,
it’s all about appearances and what sits under the hood.

2007 Dodge Charger

Page 2

Even a year after the
Charger hit the market, it still drew eyeballs by the dozens, with its
blacked-out decklid, Daytona lettering, and the black rear spoiler. It didn’t
turn heads on looks alone, though. What’s more recognizable than a real V-8
rumble? The Charger’s engine note could have been taken right out of the muscle
car era, which shows that the engineers did a great job in sound tuning.

Our exhaust note came
courtesy of the Customer Preferred Package 28V. The package also includes
an upgraded suspension with self-adjusting shock absorbers and 235/55R All
Season Performance Tires for the standard 18-inch aluminium wheels. Outside, it
adds the trunk lid spoiler, R/T badge, painted HEMI engine cover, and HEMI decal
on the hood. For the new model year, 20-inch wheels with 245/445ZR20 rubber are
available for the Daytona R/T.

The interior of the Daytona
R/T gets the perforated seats with leather/suede covering, heated and power
front seats and power adjustable pedals. Pity though, that the well-designed
interior gets no upgrades in this version: everything is the same material as in
the base model.

All about the
engine

The engine is why you
want to drive a Daytona Charger – why everyone else craves a turn at the wheel.
The 340-hp, 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 that powers the Charger Daytona R/T drives the
rear wheels to blazing, thrilling speeds, with a soundtrack fitting the
Sixties.

You can drive the Daytona
R/T the way it looks, enthusiastically and sporty. Even so, it’s more
comfortable than the muscle cars of the past and the cockpit looks and feels
contemporary too. An ideal seating position behind the steering wheel is easily
found with its tilt/telescoping feature, while the leather/suede bucket seats
holds you nicely in place.

Review continues below

2007 Dodge Charger

Page 3

Although the steering is
not as sharp as it could be, it is obedient and precise, if not too quick. The
suspension is really nicely tuned: it is firm, but also very forgiving. On a
twisty road at a higher speed, the Charger never felt like we were overdoing it.
And when you reach its limits, the car warns you with a bit of movement of its
tail that is easily corrected.

Even with the five-speed
automatic transmission, it’s easy to use all the engine power and more
important, to spin the wheels at stop signs. The AutoStick transmission
downshifts quickly and does not require a heavy foot to do so.

It’s a good thing the HEMI
comes with MDS, Chrysler’s Multi-Displacement System that seamlessly deactivates
four cylinders in a blink of the eye to improve fuel economy when power is not
needed. (Chrysler claims a 20-percent improvement.) So you can have it both
ways: accelerating from 0-
60
mph in 5.6 seconds and cruising on the highway not burning
more than 25 mpg of gas by their reckoning, although we noted less than 20 mpg.
Stopping power comes from beefy disc brakes with the help of anti-lock
brakes.

But you’re not buying a
Charger, much less a HEMI, with gas prices in mind. You can drive this Charger
for your daily commute, but it’s best approached as the reincarnation of the
muscle cars that beguiled a generation.